Heroes of Israel Part 40

And they two went on. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood over against them afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pa.s.s, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken from thee."

And Elisha said, "I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me."

And he said, "Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so."

And it came to pa.s.s, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the hors.e.m.e.n thereof!"

B. THE NEW PROPHET

And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan. And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, "Where is the Lord, the G.o.d of Elijah?" and when he also had smitten the waters, they were divided hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

And when the sons of the prophets which were at Jericho over against him saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha." And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

THE MEANING OF THE STORY

313. How did the great day close after Elijah had defeated the prophets of Baal? How do you think Ahab felt about it? Elijah probably hoped to see a complete return of the people to the Lord and he expected the wicked queen Jezebel to be prevented from interfering with the prophets of the Lord.

314 (--83A). What did Ahab do when he returned home? What did Jezebel decide? Was she willing to give up her power? Elijah saw that nothing had been gained, for the wicked queen was still in control. Where did he go? Follow his journey on the map. Mention all the circ.u.mstances that would make Elijah tired out. His discouragement was largely due to his exhaustion from hunger and travel. What kind thing did the Lord do for the tired prophet?

315 (--83B). Where did Elijah go? h.o.r.eb is another name for Mount Sinai.

Do you remember what great hero led the people to Sinai? (--40A.) Elijah wanted to go back to the mountain where his people had heard of the Lord. Tell the story of what happened at the cave. The Lord would show Elijah that the people could not be saved by great contests, but by gentle means. He also told him that it would take time to get rid of the idolatry. He told him three important persons would all have a part in the work, even after he was dead: who were these?

316 (--83B). Elijah was mistaken in thinking that he was the only faithful man left. How many were there? There are often more good people than we think.

317 (--83C). Tell the story of the call of Elisha.

318 (--84A). Locate Jezreel on the map. We found it before, near Mt.

Carmel. King Ahab had a fine palace there, though his capital was in Samaria. But the king needed some more land to make a garden. How did he try to get it? Why would not the man sell it? We must remember that in those times a farm would sometimes remain in one family for centuries.

How did Ahab behave? What did Jezebel say that she would do?

319 (--84B). A king of Israel could not do as he pleased. He was bound to respect the rights of his people. Jezebel therefore thought out a plan to have Naboth killed. What was the plan and how did it work?

320 (--84B). When Jezebel heard of the success of her plot she told the king. What did he do? What ought he to have done?

321 (--84C). The king and queen had forgotten all about Elijah. How did he suddenly appear? Imagine how frightened the king must have been when he saw the stern prophet coming to meet him in the garden. So conscience suddenly speaks when we have forgotten it. What did Elijah say?

322 (--84C). We have seen Elijah the champion of pure religion, now we see him the champion of justice. There was no one else who dare speak against the king's tyranny. Do you think he was brave? Why did not Ahab kill him?

323 (--85A). Tell the story of the last journey of Elijah and Elisha.

Follow the journey on the map. Imagine the fearful mountain storm on the east of Jordan in the midst of which Elijah was carried away. Is it not a grand story of the end of such a stormy life?

324 (--85B). How did the new prophet begin his work?

WRITTEN REVIEW

Ahab, although in many respects an able king, showed himself in this incident a bully. A bully is one who does wrong to a person who is too weak to resist. There is generally a bully in every school. Is there also a hero? Write what you think a hero ought to do with a bully.

x.x.x. ELISHA, THE HEALER AND COUNSELOR

THE STORY

=--86. The Payment of the Widow's Debt= (II Kings 4:1-7)

Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, "Thy servant my husband is dead: and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two children to be slaves."

And Elisha said unto her, "What shall I do for thee? tell me; what hast thou in the house?"

And she said, "Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil."

Then he said, "Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And thou shalt go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels; and thou shalt set aside that which is full."

So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons; they brought the vessels to her, and she poured out. And it came to pa.s.s, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, "Bring me yet a vessel."

And he said, "There is not another vessel."

And the oil stopped. Then she came and told the man of G.o.d. And he said, "Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy sons on the rest."

=--87. The Healing of the Leper= (II Kings 5)

A. NAAMAN'S VISIT TO ISRAEL

Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given victory unto Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away a captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. And she said unto her mistress, "Would G.o.d my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! then would he recover him of his leprosy."

And one went in, and told his lord, saying, "Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel."

And the king of Syria said, "Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel."

And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, "And now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy."

And it came to pa.s.s, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, "Am I G.o.d, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? but consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me."

B. NAAMAN HEALED

And it was so, when Elisha the man of G.o.d heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, "Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel."

So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, "Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean."

But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, "Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his G.o.d, and wave his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean?"

So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, "My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, 'Wash, and be clean'?"